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Ancient Thracians and their medicine

Thracian surgical instruments
Photo: Associate Prof. Krassimir Koev
Today modern medicine cannot surprise us with almost anything – organ transplants, re-attaching of severed limbs and other “miracles”, performed by experienced surgeons. High technologies are also in favor of medics and we can only expect new wonders from the future of medicine. However, it turns out that the ancient past of this noble science hides its surprises too… Several years ago a team of Bulgarian archaeologists discovered in the village of Karanovo, near the southern town of Nova Zagora, a necropolis of 26 tombs, dated to the end of the 1st and the beginning of the 2nd century AD. A chariot with 4 big wheels and the skeletons of a couple of horses – those were some of the artifacts found. The other interesting discovery of the experts, headed by archaeologist Vesselin Ignatov turned out to be related to the medical skills of ancient Thracians. Associate Professor in Ophthalmology Krassimir Koev from the University of Medicine in Sofia comments.
“Medical archeology is not developed in Bulgaria, just like in most countries worldwide, the expert says. However, it can answer many questions in medicine. It turned out, for instance that a renown doctor had been buried in one of the Karanovo Thracian tombs. A set of 18 surgical instruments was found near the skeleton. Those were made of bronze and engraved with silver and gold. The curious thing is that they do not differ that much from today’s instruments, which proves the high level of medicine with ancient Thracians. One of the tools found surprisingly looks like Daviel’s spoon – a small oval-shaped instrument for removing the remains of a cataract after discission. It was used for the first time in 1741 by Frenchman Jacques Daviel – the personal doctor of King Louis XV. A curette was found among the rest of the instruments, similar to the one, used in the surgery of stye. Several tweezers that look just like those, used today, were found too.”

© Photo: Associate Prof. Krassimir Koev


The famous ophthalmologist says that a deeper research is needed for those findings. No data on other similar instruments, found elsewhere, has been released so far. Dr. Koev thinks that the tools of the ancient surgeon were used by a team of experts for complicated surgeries. This makes him suppose that an organized form of medical treatment existed with the Thracians.

“The presence of this set of surgical instruments that belonged to the doctor, buried in one of the 26 tombs in Karanovo, showed not only the fact that he was a high-ranked person, but also that his status was almost equal to the one of the Thracian kings. This also comes to say that those people really appreciated the medical science and practice,” Dr. Koev points out.

© Photo: Associate Prof. Krassimir Koev

The team of archeologists, who unearthed the finds near Karanovo

The expert gives further more examples on the high level of ancient medicine. Skulls of people, dated back to the 8th millennium BC were discovered in the most remote northwestern settlement in Bulgaria – Durankulak. Marks from trepanations with a really delicate circle were discovered on those, but no tools were found. Aztec and Maya people performed similar trepanations, according to Dr. Koev. Along with several other intellectuals the expert created the Velika Bolgaria /Great Bolgaria/ association, due to the need for popularization, protection and preservation of the cultural and historic inheritance of this country. Journalist Patritsia Kirilova heads the association and one of its founders is Prof. Evgenii Sachev, expert in cultural-historic inheritance and national security. Associate Prof. Koev was acquainted with the findings from Karanovo during an expedition, organized by the association in the summer. The surgical instruments of the ancient Thracians are exhibited at the Museum of Archaeology in the town of Stara Zagora.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev
По публикацията работи: Lina Ivanova


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